Running from Reality
by Pip08
Summary: sequel to SNP, probably not necessary to read it though. Written before sixth book came out. Hermione and Blaise are married, pregnant, all over the press, professors at Hogwarts, and share a secretfrom SNP. Some days, they feel like Running From Reality


A/N: Here it is. Please, I am on my knees, not really, but please help me with my poor little dream of getting ten reviews a chapter. I know that it's possible, I know at least ten people read SNP all the way through. PLEASE! On with the story...

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize in the whole story is JKR's, who needs to rethink the killing of someone in her sixth book.

Introduction-Back to School

Hermione Zabini stood in front of the doors of Hogwarts. It was where her and Blaise's Godmother had stood after killing or stunning all of the death eaters. She smiled a sad smile and let Blaise lead her through the deserted halls that tugged at Hermione's heart, to the familiar stone statue that guarded the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore greeted the couple with a smile and let them pass into the room. The three and some sat in the office that Hermione had grown accustomed to.

"How far along are you now Hermione?" Dumbledore said brightly.

"Four months." she said smiling back.

"Amazing how you aren't showing yet. I bet you'll look fabulous afterwards too. Those who show late don't show after, they say." Dumbledore said.

"I hope so, I hate losing weight, too hard." she said. "So, tomorrow we get a castle full of students?" she asked.

"Yes. Your vortexes are all set and I do believe that Severus would like to thank you Blaise, he seems quite a bit more cheerful." Dumbledore said. "Oh, you requested to know whom was your replacement during your maternity leave?"

"Yes." Hermione said.

"I believe that would be a certain old friend of ours named Tonks." Dumbledore said. "She would like to know if you would like to have her help afterwards also. I personally think she would add something but I believe it is truly your choice."

"You know I would never say no to seeing her." Hermione said happily. "How has she been?"

"Wonderful actually, fell in love with Lupin. Poor Tonks is trying to convince him he isn't to old, ugly, and poor." Dumbledore said with a chuckle.

"I imagine that will take a while." Hermione said. She lightly bumped Blaise's leg with her foot.

"Should we go see our rooms now?" Blaise asked, catching Hermione's eye.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Dumbledore said, standing and the three headed first to the dungeons, to the same old potions room, and then back up to ground level to Hermione's new classroom which, ironically, was the one the two use to meet in.

"I believe you two would like to set up and then spend your very last day childless at home." Dumbledore said.

"Thank you Professor." Hermione said, smiling up at him.

"Try to remember to call me Albus, please." he said as he walked off. The two set up their rooms and went home.

Hermione looked at her ringing alarm clock, and slammed a hand down on top of it before trying to get up, but Blaise held on to her.

"We have to get up," Hermione giggled as he started to trail kisses over her bare shoulders.

"No, let's stay here forever." Blaise said, snuggling up to Hermione and closing his eyes.

"Sorry dear, we really have to get up, you have only an hour to eat, shower, and get dressed." Hermione said, wiggling out of his grip.

"Fine," he pouted but then smirked, "but only if I get to shower with you." Hermione laughed as she headed for the bathroom.

"That means you have to get up now." she said.

"Coming," Blaise said, walking into the bathroom and wrapping his arms around her waist, "your so beautiful, I bet all those guys are going to have crushes on you."

"Good thing you'll be there to beat them up." Hermione said. "Can you do me a huge favor?"

"I would do anything except maybe go through child birth for you." Blaise said in all seriousness. Hermione playfully slapped his arm.

"Don't be bias and smile. Oh, and wash your hair." Hermione giggled.

"Are you comparing me to Snape?" Blaise said, faking shock, "At least I look good."

"Oh, you look more than good, Professor." Hermione purred in his ear.

"Yes." Blaise said. Hermione smirked.

"To bad I don't have time to shower!" she called as she dashed out of the room.

"What?" Blaise said, following her at a slower pace.

"We have five minutes!" a dressed, cleaned and eating Hermione said, bagel in hand.

"Your evil!" Blaise said, using magic to get clean and change.

"I learn from the best!" Hermione said as she hopped through the swirling purple and black vortex. Blaise stepped out to see Hermione sitting at her desk.

"When did you spend quality time with Draco Malfoy?" Blaise said, earning a laugh.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Hermione said, laughing. She looked at her classroom. Blaise looked around too. It was a perfect replica of a wizarding house but there wasn't any walls, just dividers, and there was a small place right in front of them that had chairs.

"No desks?" Blaise asked.

"They won't fit and knowing Tonks, she'll want a hands on class. It keeps things more interesting." Hermione said.

"Well, let's go see Dumbledore before we're late." Blaise said.

"Okay." Hermione said, grabbing Blaise's hand and resting her head on his shoulder as they walked to his office. They said the password and were called in almost at once.

"How are you two this morning?" Dumbledore asked, all the other teachers, except Snape, smiled at them.

"Wonderful." Hermione said as she let Blaise sit before sitting on his lap for lack of another chair.

"Great, let's get started than. We need to talk about the sixth years baby project. Hermione, you'll teach that, correct." Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, of course. I can assign their rooms and even do the spell if you like." Hermione said.

"That's good, but we're actually moving it up to seventh year, so they'll be doing it this year, because they didn't get a chance last year." Dumbledore said.

"I believe we are to discuss Quidditch next." McGonagol said.

"Yes, we seem to be having an abnormally large number of students getting hurt during Quidditch practice and I'd like a volunteer or two that wouldn't mind watching a bunch of people fly around for an hour or so." Dumbledore said.

"I can do that." Blaise said, smiling.

"The next topic is... the Head of House issue." McGonagol said, checking the agenda.

"Ah yes, we need a new Slytherin Head of House because Severus has decided to give up the post. His office and the commons are actually very far apart now." Dumbledore said.

"I guess I'll do that as well. My room's closest." Blaise said, looking around and noticing he was the only other Slytherin.

"Fantastic!" Dumbledore said. "Another problem Minerva."

"Well... only the pregnancy issue." McGonagol said.

"Ah, that I was hoping, would never happen." Dumbledore said. He poised his fingers into a triangle as if in prayer and looked solemn. "The students are getting more... reproductive, Blaise and Hermione as an example, even though they were engaged." Hermione blushed and looked down. "I understand the fact that seventh years are doing so, but we have been catching years as young as third. It is unacceptable. I have devised a simple plan... tell them that they need to stop. Embarrassing and effective to a point. We need tighter patrols and harsher punishments too. They should get three days of detention, held on Saturdays, which they will have to learn about the reproductive system. I need someone willing to teach on a Saturday. Someone who can bore or embarrass them."

"Professor Binns can't, I suppose." Blaise said with a smirk, before Hermione elbowed him.

"No, he can't. He doesn't care if his audience is awake." snapped McGonagol.

"I believe Snape would get the message across. Who would want to hear him talk about sex?" Hermione said.

"I refuse to take the position. It is demeaning and I would probably have more clever and snide remarks about me. Thank you Miss Granger." Snape snapped.

"I'll do it, but only if I can make them watch a video of a baby being born. Trust me, they don't want to see it." Blaise said.

"I'm perfectly okay with that, though your wife looks a little angry." Dumbledore said with a chuckle.

"You got me pregnant and you dare to say that. You have some nerve." Hermione snapped.

"I did it because I love you though." Blaise said. Hermione laughed and the teachers smiled, except Snape.

"The next topic is... Tonks coming to teach. I dare say this is a little early to talk about it though." McGonagol said. She tossed the list into a trashcan and looked at Dumbledore.

"Actually, she should be here in only four months at most. I can't really let an eight month pregnant woman try to teach a class on her own." Dumbledore said. "She said she'd be here in December, probably the fifth. Anyone like to comment?" He looked around.

"I'm allowed to bring my baby to class as long as it's not disruptive, right?" Hermione said, nervously.

"Of course!" Dumbledore said. "I believe that you should bring your child here for as long as you like. Could come to classes until seventh year if you like. Is that all?"

"She will keep the same appearance, won't she?" Flitwick spoke up. "It would get confusing to the first years."

"I'll have a talk with her, but she seems to enjoy pink hair, and I can't say that there are any other people in the building with pink hair. If that is all, you may all prepare for classes, schedules have been sent to your rooms, and see you in the Great Hall at six thirty." Dumbledore said, rising. Everyone filed out of the room. Blaise and Hermione left and started for Hermione's room.

"Is your room done?" she asked. Blaise smiled.

"It looks the same, only less dusty, dank, dark, and cold." Blaise said.

"I think that would make quite a difference." Hermione said. Blaise laughed.

"You'd be surprised how cozy it is, Slytherins will hate me for it. Oh, remember how I promised to let you squeeze my hand off in the delivery room? I only said that so I didn't have to watch. Trust me, I saw it when I was ten, I almost puked." Blaise said. Hermione laughed.

"This is what woman get in return for all that pain. Not having to watch until their babies grow up." Hermione said.

"Just imagine a water melon trying to squeeze through an elastic yet stiff button hole. Add blood, screaming, crying, a room full of doctors, and a woman looking very frazzled and in a lot of pain." Blaise said.

"Wonderful picture Blaise. You made me feel so much better about it. First I get fat and then I get to go through a lot of pain. I'm glad I didn't marry you for your optimism." Hermione said.

"Yes, but think about the beautiful baby who will fill your life with joy." Blaise said.

"And the man who I will want to kill for doing it to me." Hermione said with a laugh.

"Hey! You were there for that part too. It would have been very hard if you weren't." Blaise said. Hermione kept laughing as she opened the door to her room.

"Yes, and we broke a school rule." Hermione said.

"But we didn't get caught." Blaise said.

"We had our own dorms, of course we didn't." Hermione said. "I wonder how many Heads get pregnant while at Hogwarts."

"Nine, your number ten." Blaise said. Hermione laughed.

"I thought I was number one." she pouted at him.

"To me, you are. Oh, what should we do for Christmas?" Blaise asked.

"I think we should spend it here. Hopefully I'll give birth a bit after it." Hermione said.

"...and if we already have a beautiful child who came early?" Blaise asked.

"Then we'll spend it at home." Hermione stated.

"Sounds good." Blaise said.

The two spent the day talking and went to the Great Hall in time. They were told to sit down and shut up, by Severus I'm sure you guessed. They sat, talking and laughing as familiar faces filed in. McGonagol led the first years and the hat sang it's usual song about the houses.

Once all the first years were sorted, Dumbledore stood and introduced the familiar faces to the younger years. "These, as I'm sure most know, were Heads last year and came back to teach. Professor Zabini and Professor... "

"Granger." Hermione said quickly.

"Professor Granger." Dumbledore finished with a smile. "I want you to treat them with as much respect as any other teacher. In sight of the many problems we have, we have found solutions. Firstly, the increased number of Quidditch accidents has forced me to assign Professor Zabini to watch practices. You must give him your schedule, captains, three days before the first practice and if a practice pops up and he is busy, another teacher may watch. Secondly, the number of students becoming pregnant or doing adult activities has increased and years as young as third are doing them. This is unacceptable and punishment for being caught has been raised to three detentions on Saturdays, where you will listen to Professor Zabini's... intreging and reality bringing lessons. Please, understand that we have also increased hall patrols and this is for your protection. Tuck In!" he said.

Everyone ate except Blaise. He poked Hermione's side and she turned to him with a puzzled look. "Did you want something?" she asked.

"Yes. I want to know why your using your maiden name instead of your real one. Do you not like my last name?" Blaise asked, confused and Hermione could tell, hurt.

"I love your last name, but having two professors with the same name would get confusing. Besides, I know everyone would call me Granger anyways." Hermione said.

"The baby is having my last name, right?" he asked.

"Of course!" Hermione said with a laugh, "but I'm blaming you when it asks why it's last name had to be at the end of the alphabet."

"Not my fault. That would be whomever thought up the name's fault." Blaise defended as he watched his wife eat as much food as he did. "Eat lately?"

"Shush, I'm eating for a rapidly growing child, my normal self, and carrying around this thing is starting to take a toll. My stomach is starting to show." Hermione said with a frown.

"Where?" Blaise said, glancing at her stomach.

"Where is it not?" Hermione hissed.

"In the real world. I swear you're imagining it. I see nothing but your flat stomach... oh, now I see it. That tiny, ittsy, bittsy bump. Please, you could say you were bloated to cover that tiny thing." Blaise said.

"It's huge!" she snapped back. Blaise laughed and kissed her on the head.

"If you say so dear." Blaise said.

"Be quiet before I get mad at you for being nice." Hermione grumbled, causing Blaise to laugh more. They talked and laughed like they were students, unaware of the smiles and sighs shot in their direction by the other teachers.

The next day during the two's first classes...

Hermione watched as third years stumbled into her class and take a seat in the chairs, looking around. The bell rang and she quickly took role, letting the late boy slide into class for the sole reason he looked red in the face from running and he at least tried to get to class on time.

"Okay everyone. I wanted to just talk to you about what we'll be doing in this class. We'll start with simple things like cooking and cleaning for most of the year, but we will have lots of random fun activities to mix things up. Any questions?" she asked the happy crowd. A little boy, the one who was late, raised his hand. "Yes?"

"Why didn't you count me late?" he asked. "I saw you notice." Hermione cringed.

"Yes, well, I could tell you had run down the halls and that implies you _tried_ and weren't just being... late for no good reason." Hermione tried to explain. "Besides, I go easy on the first day." He grinned and said his thanks. A little girl raised her hand shyly. "Yes?"

"I read in the paper you and Professor Zabini are the first ever Gryffindor and Slytherin couple to get married ever." she stated. "Is it true?"

"Yes. It really is a shame that the Gryffindors and Slytherins hate each other, not all of them are bad." Hermione stated. "Oh, I forgot to mention, we'll have a assistant teacher around December because, as most of you know, I'm pregnant and I'm sure all of you will see my child in years to come much more than you'd like too. Professor Tonks is her name." Hermione mentioned, getting back on topic. A soft buzz of talking quickly began and ended. "Any more questions?"

A brown haired boy who looked particularly angry and was a Slytherin raised his hand. Hermione motioned to him with her hand as she leaned against her desk.

"Must we have a blood traitor's and house betrayer's baby in our mandatory class?" he growled.

"Yes. Stay after class, regarding your question. Any others?" she asked the wide eyed group that was still shocked by the rude question. She dismissed the class and kept her eye on the boy as he talked to his friend quickly before heading toward her.

"Yes Professor Granger?" he asked with only a hint of anger and malice, trying to act innocent.

"I want to show you something." she said. She rummaged through her desk a moment before placing two clear jars on the table. She then took out a pocket knife and ran it along her palm, letting the blood fall into one of the jars as the little boy watched puzzled. She muttered a charm with her wand was pointed at his hand and then followed suit with his hand, cutting it across the palm and letting the same amount of blood trickle into the other jar before healing it magically. He looked at his magically numb hand as feeling started to return. Hermione waited until he had finished looking at his unmarked hand. "Look at the two jars." she said simply. He did as told and studied them each in turn.

"What about them?" he asked, slightly glaring at them for confusing him and not giving him the answer.

"Tell me, do they look any different? Don't lie." she stated. He studied each again and frowned as he shook his head. "Why is this jar's blood," she motioned to the jar with his blood in it, "so much better than this one's if they look exactly the same and do the same thing?" she asked, staring intently at his face as he suddenly understood what she was trying to say.

"Mine's purer." he stated simply.

"Watch." Hermione instructed as she got two more jars and poured them into the other. "If yours was purer, it would have been thinner. I just demonstrated it wasn't. So how are they different? If a stranger walked in they couldn't be able to tell the difference. If you want your life to revolve around a non existent difference, who am I to change it? But all I'm trying to show you is my blood is just as pure and red as yours. Both can save lives, both can be spilled, but neither can ever change. People can change though. So if people can change and blood can't, why does blood determine so much? It's just a liquid." Hermione said. She walked to the door and opened it, motioning for him to leave with those thoughts. She listened as he walked quickly down the halls and sighed as she cleaned up her little mess. Blaise's class, needless to say, didn't go much better...

Blaise sat in his own thoughts about how Hermione had taken her maiden name. He sighed and watched the sixth years who's faces he remembered and some he didn't file in. He than realized it was Gryffindors and Slytherins. He leaned back in his chair, letting the small amount of sun that managed through his windows to fall on his face. He sighed as the bell rang and stood, closing the door with a flick of his wand. He opened his mouth to speak when a little girl, obviously a Slytherin, strode in, smirk on her face.

"Excuse me." Blaise said, eyes glued to her. She paid him no mind as she very slowly started toward the empty seat on the other side of the room. "Hey, muggle lover!" he snapped at her. She turned at this, glaring at him. "Thank you for respecting your teacher. Detention, the rest of the week." he hissed, trumping her glare. She sat down with a flourish and said, obviously intending for him to hear, 'this class is a joke.' He smirked at her. "No, your face is a joke." The class, mostly Gryffindors, laughed. She turned red with anger. "Snape isn't here any more, _Ronda Webeck_, I am. You insult something related to me, come in late, smart mouth, don't turn in your homework, bully others in any house or year, be late or skip even gossip about me, I'll know, and I'll punish you." The Slytherins glared and the Gryffindors smirked. He looked at the group of Gryffindors. "Even if I married a Gryffindor, her friends who almost killed me were in your house, so I hate your guts." he said, sobering the whole class up. A small, hesitant hand raised, a little Gryffindor girl. He waved a hand in her direction, "Miss..."

"Roebuck." she supplied. "I have a question that's totally off topic but I was hoping you could answer it because no one else I asked knows. If you mix gillyweed into a love potion, would it make it waterproof, give the person gills, or explode because of the juices?"

"Umm... actually, it depends on which one." he said, looking a little confused.

"Heart throb serum." she said. She had now earned a couple of strange looks but the Gryffindors seemed use to it.

"Explosions in most cases, green or pink, depending on which way you stir it in. If you take the juice from it and turn it counter clockwise though, it becomes waterproof but the time limit still applies. Stir clockwise and you have either a yellow explosion or gills on the drinker, depending on how you extract the juices and how much you put in." he explained. The class seemed awed and the Slytherins looked smug.

Another hand raised, a Slytherin in one of the lower classes of pure blood community. Blaise waved a hand at him. "Professor Zabini... why are you the knew Head of House for Slytherin?" he asked, Blaise realized he was confused and curious.

"My office is closer than Snape's." he stated simply. "Any more random questions or should I talk at you?" he asked boredly. A few more hands raised. He started on his left and went right.

"Bugbey quit, we don't have a captain for Quidditch." one informed him. He looked at the different faces, trying to find the seeker who practiced on the pitch at midnight and could have trumped Potter with a blindfold. Draco and his pride kept her off the field and she had used all of her courage to confront him, she didn't have enough to do more than accept it. She found her, low in her seat, raven hair covering her face. He smirked.

"Miss Tures is the new captain. She has total control over the team and if I catch wind of doubts before you see her play, you will find your broom and yourself in an uncomfortable position." he said, smirking at the boy who he knew was horrible and bossy, and who thought would be given the position.

The questions of his marriage and the argument that ended up with him taking fifty points for the use of mudblood in his earshot about his marriage and dirtying the name. He sighed and rubbed his temples. If only they knew she had saved all of their lives and given the few who doubted blood lines a chance to live they would shut up about it. But they grew up with those thoughts and they believed them... if only they knew, if only he could tell them, and if only they could stay out of the press. Some days he just wished that they could run away from reality...

A/N: There's the introduction! I got back at six this morning and I slept until two! I got up and finished this. Oh, please help me get the last twelve reviews I need and review the epilogue of So Not Perfect! Tell me how you like the beginning too!


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